Winter Haven, Florida (rwripper@verizon.net)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++NEXT Board Meeting-this Fall
NEXT GENERAL MEETING
-Saturday 10/04/08 9amPresident--Tom Olson; Vice President -- Luke Bowman;
Treasurer--Warren Krabbe; Secretary----------Ray Mallette
Web Site--Earle Richardson
www.eaa229.org; Young Eagles & Tech Inspection----Mike Bauer (new phone 863-670-0385); Shop Foreman-----Dick Ripper; Membership Chairman--- OPEN----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter distribution is via email to each person, an electronic copy on the website and a paper copy on the hanger bulletin board. Target distribution is shortly before the monthly First Saturday meeting. The Newsletter is just
fact, fiction, rumor, a mistake or opinion <G>.Last month a plea went out for stories and Steve Megill answered the call with the following. After losing my medical in 1980 and visiting Sun 'n Fun's Paradise City, I thought I knew enough to build a plane and selected a Fisher 303 with a 28 hp engine. The Miami dealer sold one to me for $2300 and delivered it to my home in Cape Coral.
It went together fairly easy and after about 3 hours running the engine while tied to a tree, I decided to try it out on a nearby back road about a mile long with no poles. With my 10 year old grandson and the help of neighbors, we then assembled the plane on the road and I climbed into the cockpit. After the engine started and sounded good, I lined up on the centerline and took off full throttle down the road. A series of 3-4 foot ground hops later, I shut it down telling everyone that something was wrong beyond my 225 pounds of baby fat. I knew the speed was adequate as I had calibrated the airspeed gauge on a broomstick handle out the window of my car and comparing with it's speedometer. Long story short, after calling Fisher, I found that two coats of paint provided inadequate fabric sealing of the wings. Adding the third coat sealed the sieve <G> and I flew successfully for 85-90 hours before my wife got cancer. I donated the plane to the SNF Museum where it still hangs from the ceiling.
The not -so-young men and spiffy, new, cheap-running scooter trend continues with Jack Doke being observed on his. A student from the local flight school porpoised on landing early August. Plane totaled and pilot okay. Retired 229 treasurer, Jim Newman, was observed warming a bench seat at the FBO along with Carl Johnson, Walt Dix and several students from the flight school. All things appear very slow at the 229 hanger except the grass and weeds which are springing up due to it being the rainy season. With a little inducement, Ray Mallette and Warren Krabbe stepped up and cut them before moving their Corvair engine inside by the 601.
Only received a couple of comments regarding last months newsletter comment of the possibility that the chapter may have to fold if new officers aren't found at years end.
Please think about volunteering for an officer post. As observed it is not a very large time consumer, what with being a half year meeting club. Possibly a larger time effort is the tie-down coordinator.…Not sure who that is for 2009.Rumor has it that Richard Parrish is under pressure by his fuel supplier to eliminate mogas without ethanol. If ethanol is added, appears only option left is aviation fuel.
Purportedly some GIF based planes problems have been caused by gas station fuel with ethanol. Member Mike Perry also reported
his Long Ez /Mazda 13B rotary engine with electronic ignition and fuel2/1/09 is when the new 406mz frequency comes into effect for the ELTs. Although pretty expensive units, accuracy is greatly improved. Remember the handheld EPB option.
Not that most people were effected by it but the old, decrepit disconnect switch feeding the old EAA Zodiac hanger and the others in the row, is finally being scheduled for replacement. Only been reported as a problem for 3+ years. The squeaking wheel just took a little longer <G>.
Only heard one Oshkosh story. President Tom Olson went to meet up with his son. Any others??
Greetings from the cold north (85). Sorry no project right now unless you count the house I sided this summer, just a little thing on Oshkosh. I took off at 6 AM Sunday morning with my two Grandsons in a hurry to beat out the approaching thunder storm in my trusty '68 Bellanca Viking. It was an eventless ride and the youngest Jaiden (8) was soon a sleep in the back seat soon followed by my copilot Damian (13). We made good time (167 KTS ground speed), not Lancair speed but respectable. We arrived at Ripon and turned in towards Fisk trailing a Bonanza. The controllers were doing a great job and we soon touched down on RWY 36. I had Damian hold up the VAP sign and was informed that it was full already and we ended up parked at in the south 40 almost to Fund Du Lac. Anyway we hiked up to campgrounds where some friends from Willmar had set up camp. That afternoon the boys and I went threw the EAA Museum and spent most of the time in the kid adventure part. On the way back we stopped at the Memorial Wall where the Willmar EAA Chapter had done memorials for Gene Underland and Kim Woltjer and did tracings for my three children and Vangie's family. We watched the Fournier concert, saw the huge Dream lifter come in and park at air show center. We enjoyed all the airplane exhibits, the air shows, and all the great homebuilts. I didn't see any one from FL this year, must of been the high gas prices. All to soon it was time for us to head home Tuesday after the air show. It was different going with kids again, it took a lot longer to make it everywhere but it was worth it seeing their excitement and saying I can't wait to go again next year (we'll see). See you in November. Rick Woltjer
P.S. The Memorial page I did for Kim in Oshkosh, is at http://eaa.org, the memorial page.Be careful out there <G>::
NEEDLES, Calif. (AP) ? Authorities say the pilot of an experimental aircraft was taking off Tuesday from a freeway west of Needles where he'd made an emergency landing when a car slammed into the plane, ejecting and killing him. The San Bernardino County sheriff's office reports three occupants in the car sustained minor injuries from a broken windshield. The Titan Tornado landed on the Interstate 40 connector road to Interstate 95 north, about 10 miles west of Needles in eastern SanTalked a little with Walter Lachney and his son recently after they returned from a flight in the orange bird. Hoping to get a early morning flight together in our planes sometime. Steve Alcorn dropped off some donuts for the Saturday Morning Coffee Club. SMCC member Duke Bledsoe has been quiet regarding his new ride. Status?? Curt Taylor sez: I am anxiously awaiting Hurricane Fay's arrival on Tues? It has been raining regularly here in Little River since we returned from Alaska in July. I was already to fly the Stearman to the FSAACA fly in yesterday at Back Achers, but got rained out. Say hello to Charlie and the gang.
A note from Mike Bauer. Here's one for the ole scandal sheet.
Going to fly my plane, so I get to the end of the runway, do my mag check, all
is o .k. mag check was a little funny, but still within range, line up on the
runway apply power, get up on the mains, and then I lost BOTH mags! Plane
shook so bad, I couldn't see the instruments. Pulled the power back, and let
the plane settle back on to the runway, then the engine quit. After I was sure
that all was under control, I tried to restart the engine, which did, very
rough, but made it back to the hanger. End result, $1,500.00 for a set of new
slick mags, installed. Engine purrs like a tiger. Took about an hour to get
seat out of butt. Checked log book on engine found that the last time the mags
were serviced was, now get this, 1988. I guess we got our moneys worth. Could
have been worse, I could have been about 500', and it had it happen, but all
is well.